Course Overview
The course will cover various topics related to the planning, design,
and execution of nature-based solutions for water resource management.
Students will explore these topics through fieldwork components,
engaging in hands-on activities and gaining practical experience. Field
sites around Athens will be visited to observe and study the interaction
of natural systems and infrastructure. These activities aim to deepen
understanding of concepts discussed in other UGA courses on natural
infrastructure and bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and
real-world application. The course also offers a unique opportunity for
students to collaborate with professionals, experts, and local
stakeholders involved in diverse ecosystems. Safety protocols and
guidelines will be provided to ensure the well-being of all participants
during fieldwork.
The approximate course schedule is shown below. However, all items
are subject to change based on visitor availability, weather, and other
factors. This intensive, four-day timeline will give us a great
opportunity to see natural infrastructure features, but there will not
be much time for reading. As such, we require and recommend the
following references, which set the stage for getting the most out of
our limited time together.
Required reading:
- Booth, D.B. and Fischenich, C.J., 2015. A channel evolution model to
guide sustainable urban stream restoration. Area, 47(4), pp.408-421. pdf
- Fischenich, C., 2008. The application of conceptual models to
ecosystem restoration. Engineer Research and Development Center,
Vicksburg, MS. open
access
- Gregory, R.S. and Keeney, R.L., 2002. Making smarter environmental
management decisions. Journal of the American Water Resources
Association, 38(6), pp.1601-1612. open
access
- Hicks C.C., Levine A., Agrawal A., Basurto X., Breslow S.J.,
Carothers C/. Charnley S., Coulthard S., Dolsak N., Donatuto J.,
Garcia-Quijano C., Mas-cia M.B., Norman K., Poe M.R., Satterfield T.,
St. Martin K., and Levin P.S. 2016. Engage key social concepts for
sustainability. Science, 352 (6281), 38-40. pdf
- Jackson, C.R., Wenger, S.J., Bledsoe, B.P., Shepherd, J.M., Capps,
K.A., Rosemond, A.D., Paul, M.J., Welch‐Devine, M., Li, K., Stephens, T.
and Rasmussen, T.C., 2023. Water supply, waste assimilation, and
low‐flow issues facing the Southeast Piedmont Interstate‐85 urban
archipelago. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association,
59(5), pp.1146-1161. open
access
- McKay S.K., Wenger S.J., van Rees C.B., Bledsoe B., and Bridges T.S.
2023. Jointly advancing infrastructure and biodiversity conservation.
Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00484-z. pdf
- Palmer, M.A. and Febria, C.M., 2012. The heartbeat of ecosystems.
Science, 336(6087), pp.1393-1394. pdf
Recommended reading:
- Cluer, B. and Thorne, C., 2014. A stream evolution model integrating
habitat and ecosystem benefits. River Research and Applications, 30(2),
pp.135-154.
- Doyle, M.W., Stanley, E.H., Havlick, D.G., Kaiser, M.J., Steinbach,
G., Graf, W.L., Galloway, G.E. and Riggsbee, J.A., 2008. Aging
infrastructure and ecosystem restoration. Science, 319(5861),
pp.286-287.
- Jackson C.R., Martin J.K., Leigh D.S., and West L.T. 2005. A
southeastern piedmont watershed sediment budget: Evidence for a
multi-millennial agricultural legacy. Journal of Soil and Water
Conservation, 60 (6), 298-310.
- Mace, G.M., 2014. Whose conservation?. Science, 345(6204),
pp.1558-1560.
- Nesshöver, C., Assmuth, T., Irvine, K.N., Rusch, G.M., Waylen, K.A.,
Delbaere, B., Haase, D., Jones-Walters, L., Keune, H., Kovacs, E. and
Krauze, K., 2017. The science, policy and practice of nature-based
solutions: An interdisciplinary perspective. Science of the total
environment, 579, pp.1215-1227.
- Palmer, M.A., Bernhardt, E.S., Allan, J.D., Lake, P.S., Alexander,
G., Brooks, S., Carr, J., Clayton, S., Dahm, C.N., Follstad Shah, J. and
Galat, D.L., 2005. Standards for ecologically successful river
restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology, 42(2), pp.208-217.
- Palmer, M.A. and Filoso, S., 2009. Restoration of ecosystem services
for environmental markets. Science, 325(5940), pp.575-576.
- van Rees C.B., Hernández-Abrams D.D., Shudtz M., Lammers R., Byers
J., Bledsoe B.P., Bilskie M.V., Calabria J., Chambers M., Dolatowski E.,
Ferreira S., Naslund L., Nelson D.R., Nibbelink N., Suedel B., Tritinger
A., Woodson C.B., McKay S.K., and Wenger S.J. 2023. Reimagining
infrastructure for a biodiversity future. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 120 (46), e2214334120, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2214334120.
Copyright Notice:
Some of the documents listed are available for downloading. They are
provided as a means to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and
technical work on a noncommercial basis. Copyright and all rights
therein are maintained by the authors or by other copyright holders,
notwithstanding that they have offered their works here electronically.
It is understood that all persons copying this information will adhere
to the terms and constraints invoked by each author’s copyright. These
works may not be re-posted without the explicit permission of the
copyright holder.
Thursday (Oct 23)
Download daily handout (forthcoming).
- 0900 – Convene at parking lot in front of Boyd Graduate Studies
Building (inside lobby in case of rain)
- 1000-1200 - Whitehall Forest, Dean’s pond, and the Middle Oconee
River floodplain
- 1200-1300 - Lunch break (bring your own
lunch)
- 1300-1500 – Land use history of the Piedmont and the White Dam
removal
- 1500-1600 - Conceptual modeling exercise
- 1600-1630 – Return to campus and adjourn
Pertinent resources to learn more about nature-based solutions:
Pertinent resources on conceptual models:
- Fischenich J.C. 2008. The application of conceptual models to
ecosystem restoration. ERDC TN-EMRRP-EBA-01. pdf
- Casper A., Efroymson R., Davis S., Steyer G. and Zettle B. 2010.
Improving conceptual model and development: avoiding underperformance
due to project uncertainties. ERDC TN-EMRRP-EBA-05. pdf
- University of Maryland’s Integration
and Application Network (IAN)
White Dam on the Middle Oconee River (Photo:
Athens Banner Herald).
Friday (Oct 24)
Download daily handout (forthcoming).
- 0900 – Convene at parking lot in front of Boyd Graduate Studies Bldg
(inside lobby in case of rain).
- 0900-1200 – Campus stormwater walk.
- 1200-1300 – Lunch on your own in downtown Athens.
- 1300 – Convene at the Arch for a van ride to the North Oconee
Greenway.
- 1300-1500 – North Oconee River flood management and Trail Creek
chemical spill.
- 1500-1630 - Hypothetical structured decision making exercise.
- 1630-1700 - Vans return to Boyd Graduate Studies Building and
adjourn.
Links to pertinent resources:
UGA campus stormwater walk with Dr. Jon Calabria
(Photo: Kyle McKay).
Saturday (Oct 25)
Download daily handout (forthcoming).
- 0900 – Convene at parking lot in front of Boyd Graduate Studies Bldg
(inside lobby in case of rain).
- 0930 – Arrive at Ben Burton Park.
- 930-1200 - Middle Oconee River tour focused on environmental flows,
riparian buffers, long-term data collection, and large-river
ecology.
- 1200-1300 - Lunch break (bring your own
lunch).
- 1300-1630 - Exploration of the Hunnicutt Creek Watershed with your
class project team.
- 1630-1700 - Vans return to Boyd Graduate Studies Building and
adjourn.
Links to pertinent resources:
Middle Oconee River at Ben Burton Park (Photo:
Sarah Baugh).
Sunday (Oct 26)
Download daily handout (forthcoming).
- 0900 – Convene at West entrance to STEM2 (opposite the back of the
Ecology Bldg).
- 0900-1000 - Team time for final preparations of group
presentations.
- 1000-1130 – Presentation of class projects (10 minutes per team +
questions and answer).
- 1130-1200 – Summary and final thoughts.
- 1200 – ADJOURN.
Links to pertinent resources:
- ADD LINK TO PRESENTATION TEMPLATE
- ADD LINK TO PRESENTATION RESOURCES